There are a variety of electrical connectors which are termed "filter" connectors, in that an electronic component, such as a capacitor, is coupled between the terminals of the connector and a ground plate or plane normally mounted to a face of a dielectric housing of the connector. The filters are used to suppress electromagnetic interference and radio frequency interference entering the connector system.
One of the problems with such filter connectors simply is their cost. Normally, a ground plate is fabricated of stamped and formed conductive metal material and must be mounted separately to the dielectric housing of the connector. Terminals then are mounted in the connector housing. The filter capacitors then must be coupled between the terminals and the ground plate. These steps are time consuming and require assembly tooling, all of which adds considerably to the cost of the connectors. In a mass production environment, reliability and performance often have much to be desired.
This invention is directed to solving the above problems by providing unique methods of mounting electronic components, such as capacitors, to flexible substrates which eventually become the ground planes of electrical connectors, the assemblies being fabricated to facilitate mass production of electrical connectors, particularly multi-conductor/terminal connectors.